Isai. lii. 1 — 3. Awake, awake; put on thy strength, 0 Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, 0 Jerusalem, the holy city : for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncir- cumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust;
arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem : loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought ; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
NOTHING is more common, than for men to cast reflections upon God, when the fault is wholly in themselves. The ungodly world, when urged to de- vote themselves to God, agreeably to the divine com- mands, will allege, that those commands are themselves unreasonable, because it is not in their power to obey them. Thus they cast the blame, not on themselves, for the inveteracy of their evil habits and the aliena- tion of their hearts from God, but upon God himself, as requiring so much at their hands. It were well if this disposition were not found also amongst persons professing godliness. But the godly themselves, un- der the power of temptation, are apt to complain of God, as unwilling to hear their prayer, and to deliver them from their troubles ; when, in fact, they neglect to use the means through which alone they are authorized to expect success. This the Jewish Church had done ; saying, in a querulous tone, to God, " Awake, awake ; put on strength, O arm of the Lord!" But the Lord retorts upon them the accu- sation, and says, "Awake, awake ; put on thy strength, O Zion ! " that is, ' Do not stand complaining of me, as if I were inattentive to your welfare ; but exert the powers which ye have ; and, in the diligent use of them, expect my promised blessing.'
The words thus explained will give me a just occa- sion to observe,
I. That we should exert ourselves, as if all depended
on our own efforts —
To this the Jews were called, in the midst of all
their discouragements —
[In the Babylonish captivity, despondency prevailed amongst them, as if it were not possible for them ever to be delivered. But it became them, like Daniel, to study the prophecies relating to their captivity; and, in a state of holy preparation, confidently to expect deliverance at God's ap- pointed time. " Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord;